


No Time Like the Present

by TheArcher



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-10-05 21:42:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10317581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArcher/pseuds/TheArcher
Summary: Jaime had been growing out a beard and he couldn't help getting taller and more muscled. One day, Bart looked up and didn't see the boy he had grown close to all these years. All he saw was the giant beetle that he’d watched destroy cities and enslave people.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BiffElderberry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiffElderberry/gifts).



The thing about the future is it comes gradually. Bart’s first year was filled with thoughts of the future. Everything he had grown up with. Everything he had read about the past, though there wasn’t much he could get ahold of. Any records would be kept with the Reach, not their captives. Bart had felt woefully unprepared for time travel and everything in the past was so different. Blue Beetle was different.

Until he wasn’t.

It was five years later and Bart should have been prepared for this. He knew Jaime had talked about growing out a beard. He knew Jaime was getting taller and stronger every day. Hell, he helped steal alien metal for additions to the Blue Beetle suit that Khaji Da said would help in battle. But he wasn’t prepared for it. One day, Bart looked up and saw the giant beetle that he’d watched destroy cities and enslave people and he froze.

Jaime’s helmet pulled back and he smirked. Maybe it was supposed to be charming but Bart didn’t feel charmed. He felt in danger. A beetle never showed their face. He’d seen propaganda posters of Jaime, sharp goatee and a sharper smile, but never in person. People said Blue was the only Beetle to take down his helmet. That he did it to let you know you were caught.

It wasn’t a conscious choice. It was a habit, an instinct. Bart looked at him and ran.

He just knew he had run, to zigzag and phase through buildings and go underground. Anything to keep Blue Beetle from tracking him. His feet took him to Mount Justice and for a moment he thought he was 13 again, staring at the hopeless wreck. But then his eyes focused and he saw it wasn’t falling apart. It was being built up. Bart dropped to the ground and breathed heavily.

Jaime didn’t find him, which was kind of the point, but now Bart felt so wrong. He should’ve been past this! It wasn’t going to happen. He changed the future, right? He stopped the Reach. Jaime was in full control of the beetle and… and… none of it helped. All he could do was kneel on the ground and shake.

\--

 

When Bart went home, to the apartment they shared, Jaime was there. Thankfully he wasn't suited up.

Bart tried to smile but he was too tired to keep up his happy-go-lucky charade. Jaime didn’t look like he would buy it anyway.

“Are you okay?” Jaime said. “I couldn’t tell where you went so I just waited.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Bart leaned on his closed door. “I just had a thing.”

“About me?” His voice shook but his face was purposefully emotionless. “I saw your face. It was about the future, wasn’t it?”

“No. That’s not the future anymore.”

“It’s okay Bart. I don’t blame you.”

“And I don’t blame you so let’s both not blame each other and just move on.” Bart moved to go to the hallway. Jaime took a step to block him, but then thought better of it and moved away.

“Was it something I did? Do you want me to not fight with you anymore? I’ll be put on a different team or I’ll move out or- “

“No!” Bart yelled. He couldn’t let the closest person to him leave. “I don’t want you to leave. I can deal with my… whatever on my own.”

“I don’t want you to be on your own hermano. I want you to be comfortable and not have to panic around me.”

“I’m not panicking.” Bart ran and hugged him. “It wasn’t you okay? It’s not going to be you.”

Jaime wrapped his arms around him gently. “Whether or not it really is the future doesn’t change the fact that it will always be your past. You can’t outrun that.”

Bart inhaled deeply. Jaime always smelled fruity and comforting. This was the exact opposite of all his fears. He was warm and safe and unafraid.

“Do you remember,” Bart said after a long silence, “the Reach posters with your face on them?”

Jaime snorted. “Yeah, they were ridiculous.”

“Well, in my… time… before my time I guess, they continued through to when you were an adult. And they showed your face. With your beard.”

“Is that it? Dude, I’ll shave today! It’s no big deal.”

“It is though! I don’t want to tell you what to do to not be villain.”

Jaime lifted his chin to look him in the eye. “Seriously?”

They both laughed. “Yeah I guess that’s not really true.”

Bart’s arms were still around him and even though it was so nice, he knew he should let go. He and Jaime never talked about his obvious crush and now hardly seemed like a good time to bring up their connection. If there even was a connection. If this wasn’t just another thing Bart had built up in his mind.

He pulled away. “Your suit’s gotten pretty bulky too.” He said. “A little close to Black Beetle don’t you think?”

“Yeah I think Khaji Da can set that up for emergency use only.”

“And while we’re at it, you could stand to help out more around the place.”

“We’re hardly ever home!”

“And that’s an excuse for dirty dishes? If one of us is going to the dark side, it’s going to be me after all I put up with!”

Jaime scoffed but instead of taking the bait, he walked away to the hallway. Bart pouted, upset that he was robbed of the chance to shout blatant lies as sarcastic insults.

He followed Jaime into the bathroom and watched as he put on shaving cream.

“Oh, you’re gonna do this now?”

Jaime shrugged. “No time like the present.”

Bart thought it would be weird to watch, but hey, he was a weird guy. He moved to the other side and perched on the water tank thing, feet on the toilet seat, and watched the razor work its magic.

When Jaime wiped his face with a towel and showed his smooth face, Bart couldn’t stop his hand from going to touch his cheek.

Jaime laughed. “Did you miss my face that much?”

Bart smiled. “You know I did.” He moved his thumb across his features, gently, slower than Bart was used to moving. “Thank you.”

When Jaime responded with, “You’re welcome,” his lips rubbed against Bart’s fingers and they locked eyes.

Bart thought about saying something to clear the tension but for once he wasn’t thinking of anything but the moment.

Well, he thought pulling Jaime’s head to his, no time like the present.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So grateful to get to pinch hit this for the fest! It was a joy to create something for this fandom and for Biffelderberry.


End file.
